Pirates Face Another Road Test at Princeton
9/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - An extended stretch away from home will continue on Monday for the Seton Hall women's soccer team as the Pirates will travel to Princeton to the on the Tigers in their sixth appearance of 2014.
The Hall stands at 1-4 after a season-opening shutout win at Marist was followed by four-consecutive defeats; all by a one-goal margin.
The Seton Hall defense has been steady as first-year head coach Rick Stainton's side will enter the contest tied for third in the BIG EAST with a 1.00 goals against average.
It has often been the final ball on the offensive end that has eluded the Pirates early in the season however but an onslaught over the final half-hour of the Pirates' most recent outing at Stony Brook may have seen the revamped attack turn the corner.
Facing a two-goal deficit for the first time this fall, Seton Hall seized control from the reigning America East regular season champions in an attempt to complete the comeback. The Hall outshot the Seawolves 14-to-1 after conceding for the second time, pulling one back and narrowly missing on several chances to add another.
Sophomore Sarah Cortes (Paramus, N.J.) provided the Pirates' lone score, capitalizing on a deflection off a free kick by Amanda Gulli (Toms River, N.J.) that resulted in an opportunity from inside the six-yard box.
It was the second goal that Cortes has scored in her brief time in a Seton Hall uniform and added to a career point total that saw her enter the season as the team's top returning scorer.
Princeton played the Pirates to a scoreless draw at Owen T. Carroll Field a year ago - the first tie in 11 all-time meetings between the two programs - but the Tigers return four players who were responsible for 24 of the team's 27 goals last year.
Sophomore Tyler Lussi found the back of the net 10 times in 2013, the highest total for a Princeton freshman in over 30 years. The Tigers have only played one contest to this point, opening their season with a 5-0 loss to Rutgers at home on Friday. Despite the lopsided result, veteran head coach Julie Shackford's team is led by senior Darcy Hargadon in goal who recorded five shutouts as a junior, including one against the Pirates.
Such experience could be a key stabilizing force for a Tigers team that inserted four freshmen into the starting lineup for the opener.
On Monday, a Pirates side that has featured its share of newcomers in the early going as well will look to extend its unbeaten streak against Princeton to three while also aiming to score its first road victory in the series since 1998.
Kick-off from Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium is slated for 5:00 p.m. A live radio broadcast is scheduled to be available on www.wsou.net while a web stream will be shown by GoPrincetonTigers.tv as part of the Ivy League Digital Network.
